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Get to Know Me (a Bit Better?)

This seems to have originated with a Wordpress blog called My Little Book Blog. Anyway, here's my contribution:

1. Are you named after anyone?

Not as far as my given (first) name is concerned, unless you count my non-existing male alter ego. My parents initially thought they were going to have a son, for whom they just picked a name that they both liked. When I turned out to be a daughter, they simply switched from the male to the female version of that name. – They didn't cancel the joust, though.

(As middle names, they also added the names of my two godmothers, which is a fairly common thing hereabouts; or used to be anyway, at the time.)

2. When was the last time you cried?

Almost exactly three months ago, when for a brief but horrible moment I thought I'd lost (through my own fault, no less) the trust and friendship of someone I care about particularly.

3. Do you have kids?

(Her name is Holly.)

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?

Can I take the Fifth on that one?

On second thought, the answer probably depends substantially on whether we'd have met in a large group of people or one on one (or at most, in a very limited circle). Internet forums are virtually the only larger group settings that work for me in terms of making friends – "off line," groups aren't my kind of thing at all.

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

In writing more than in conversation ...

6. Will you ever bungee-jump?

No. I've always drawn the line at roller coaster rides anyway, but had to learn the hard way that those days are over for me as well; so that's that, I suppose.

7. What’s your favorite cereal?

Granola, preferably with fresh fruit.

I don't have cereal in the morning as a rule – or indeed any large breakfast at all –, but when I'm traveling (and when time and the hotel's breakfast buffet allows), I like to mix and match the cereals, fresh fruit and yoghurt on offer ... followed by one or more courses of what else is on the breakfast buffet!

8. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Other than "male/female"? Hmm, probably people's facial expressions and (though only partly consciously) their body language. Long term, eyes and hands are what I pay the most attention to physically.

9. What is your eye colour?

Blue.

10. Scary movie or happy endings?

I don't do scary movies (not any more, that is). Don't need any fairy tale endings, either, though – what I do look for are stories that are ultimately resolved in a way that feels natural and complete.

11. Favorite smells?

Oh, my. Do I have to pick and choose? Most natural fragrances – flowers (lavender, roses and apple blossoms come to mind in particular), Mediterranean herbs, spices (the more exotic, the better), citrus fruits and similar scents (especially verbena), wet grass, pine woods ... as well as tea and freshly baked bread!

12. Summer or winter?

Spring, summer and early fall, at least where I am living now. Winters tend to be gray, wet and murky hereabouts. I love snow, so if I were living in the mountains, I might just go for "year round," or "any day that it doesn't rain all the time." But I don't particularly mind heat (and I'm not living in the tropics to begin with) ... and I absolutely love what spring and early summer does to nature, including our own back yard!

13. Computer or television?

Computer. I haven't even owned a TV for years, and I'm not missing a thing.

14. What’s the furthest you’ve ever been from home?

Australia (with Hong Kong coming in as a close second).

Uluru / Ayers Rock (photo mine).

15. Do you have any special talents?

I can pick up foreign languages fairly easily, to the point that after a while people tend to think I am more fluent than I actually am ... which becomes painfully obvious when they try to make conversation in earnest!

16. Where were you born?

17. What are your hobbies?

18. Do you have any pets?

See answer to question no. 3.

19. Favorite movie?

"Here's looking at you, kid ..."

20. Do you have any siblings?

A half brother and two half sisters.

ETA: Also, when I was little I was extremely close to my two older cousins, who were almost like sisters to me at the time. To the point that, by the time my (actual) half brother and half sisters came around, I'd gotten so used to being the youngest kid that suddenly being an older sister took a considerable amount of getting used to!

(With my cousins, in Majorca.)

21. What do you want to be when you grow up?

The last time they asked me that, my answers were (not necessarily in this order):

1. Explorer (until I discovered that this requires decidedly more athleticism than I possess);

2. Vet (until I discovered that this requires a decidedly greater tolerance of looking at, and handling, fresh blood than I possess);

3. Acrobat (refer to option 1).

Then I discovered that as a lawyer you get paid for shooting your mouth off, and if you do it right, you even get to do it in more languages than one. So that's where I ended up ...